Enemy Within (14 page)

“I took the liberty of talking to Dave after we last met so he is partly up to speed. Let me check if he is in.” there was a click on the line as he put me on hold.

Shortly there was a broad Yorkshire voice on the
‘‘‘phone
. “
Mr
Lever, my name is Dave Withers, Ron has been telling me something about you. What is happening?” I then went on to explain that we were planning to attend a police interview today with Fleet and Lloyd and asked if he could be available to attend. “Well I am in court this morning but the afternoon is free. You are based near the harbour I believe. Why don't I come in to your office so you can brief me before going down to College Green? If you agree, I will call Chief Superintendent Fleet and check that is convenient. I know her quite well.”

“OK,” I said. See you about lunchtime at our office.

Out of courtesy I called Lloyd and explained what was happening. “Dave Withers,” he said, “pulling out the big guns aren't you? I will find out from the Chief Super what she agrees.”

Adrian said he had to go to his girlfriend
’
s and get some clean clothes and that he would come down to my office later in the morning.

In the office, I talked to Alec and explained what I had set up.

“I will have to shuffle a few things round from this afternoon but I will make it. Why don't you organise some sandwiches in for lunch so we can discuss what we do while we eat. I assume Adrian will be there?”

“Yes, he is coming in later this morning, the problem is how much he should admit to, thereby incriminating himself. These days there is a danger he could be extradited to the US!”

“Withers should be able to advise on that. Let's play it by ear.”

I then sat down in front of my computer to start dealing with my email. With everything that was going on I had got seriously behind with my mail, more than 150+ unread. However there would not be anything too urgent, as my PA June wou
ld have drawn my attention to it
if she couldn't deal with it.

She however did remind me that I was committed to giving a lecture next week to some software students at Bristol Uni. Had I prepared anything? It was customary to provide a hard copy of such talks so I couldn't just wing it. The subject was 'The Planning of Software Development.” With the office door closed, I got down to roughing something out with indications of schematics needed and by the time lunchtime had come I was able to email something to June that she could convert in to PowerPoint with suitable suggested graphics. June was a wiz on PowerPoint so I was confident that the draft that would come back would be good and only my content would require tweaking.

Lunchtime came and June said that she had organised sandwiches in the boardroom and that
Mr
Withers was on his way up there.

“Please tell Alec, have you heard anything from my brother Adrian?”

“No, I did not know you were expecting him.”

“Well, show him up to the boardroom when he arrives please?”

The boardroom was fortunate to have a large picture window at one end, and the view out of the window was a stunning view up the Clifton Go
rge, a marvellous view of the
Suspension Bridge spanning the gorge. Alec always reckoned that it was this view that sold the building to me when we first moved here a few years ago. I must admit I am a fan of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the designer of the bridge and many other engineering feats of Victorian England
,
and I find this view inspirational.

When I arrived, Dave Withers was standing admiring the view. “Magnificent isn't it,” I said.

“It sure is, good to meet you
Mr
Lever,” he responded holding out his hand.

We shook hands, “call me Martin, we are informal here.”

“In which case please call me Dave.”

“OK Dave. I hope you don't mind, but rather than going out to lunch I have taken the liberty of organising some sandwiches here so that we have more time to talk.”

“That's fine. Did you get my message that Fleet is able to see us at 3.30pm?”

Yes, I did th
anks. I am expecting Alec Bell
to join us shortly, and also my brother Adrian. In fact I don't know where he is,” I said irritably, looking at my watch.

“Well while we are waiting why don't you start telling me what all of this is about.” At that point we were interrupted by the arrival of sandwiches, and coffee etc.

“Would you like me to serve some coffee?” said June.

“No thanks June, we will help ourselves. Any message from Adrian?”

“No, I'm sorry.”

“OK, let me know if you hear anything.”

As June left, Alec joined us and after introducing him to Dave Withers I started from the beginning to relate events to Dave.

CHAPTER 25

Adrian had left the house shortly after Martin and set out for his girlfriend’s house. She lived in a village called Pill that is a charming village on the Avon River not too far from the point where the Avon joins the River Severn. It used to be a passenger ferry point across the Avon.

Driving the old open top MG down through Bristol and then finally through the narrow country lanes to Pill was thoroughly enjoyable and for a short time allowed Adrian to forget his current problems. The fresh air on the face and through the hair was invigorating, but as he dropped down towards the village he became conscious of a red car following closely behind him. Had it been there long? As he pulled over
the next rise, he pulled up at
a junction where there seemed to be some kind of road works hold up. All of a sudden as he sat waiting he was aware of someone approaching behind him, and then he was thumped in the neck and within seconds he lost consciousness as the drug from the syringe stabbed in to his neck knocked him out. The attacker caught him and with the help of his mate dragged him out of the car and into the red Ford behind. The mate got in to the MG and set off up the road with the red Ford following closely behind.

An hour later Dawson got a call from Naismith. We have the prize and he is on the way to our friends. Dawson smiled to himself; maybe things are looking up at last.

CHAPTER 26

I finished reciting events to Dave Withers. Periodically Alec interrupted to add his own comments and observations.

“Well gentlemen, that is quite a story and I am not sure quite what we should make of it. My recommendation is that you come completely clean with Chief Superintendent Fleet. In my experience she is a straight shooting cop and while she is not immune to pressures she will do the right thing. Frankly I think you need any help she can give.”

“I think we need to get going if we are going to be at Colleg
e Green on time, I will get Penny to call us a taxi.” Alec
picked up the
‘phone
in the corn
er of the room and spoke to Penny
.

“I am beginning to get a bit worried about Adrian, he is not normally the most punctual or organised of people but I would not think he would be late for this meeting, he knows how important it is.”

“Have you tried calling him?” said Alec

“Yes, but I will try again,......... The
phone
has gone to voicemail again”

“Well let'
s get going, he can catch us up,
” said Alec. “The taxi is here.”

CHAPTER 27

Arriving at College Green police station a young constable showed them up to a meeting room on the first floor in which there was a large conference table and a dozen chairs. There were no windows and the room was quite bare.

Before entering the room, Lloyd stopped Fleet and said. “We have had a response on that gun that Jason Walgrave handed in. It appears to have been used before in what the Met believe was a professional killing up there.”

“This gets murkier and murkier,” said Fleet.

Inspector Lloyd entered the meeting room followed by Chief Superintendent Fleet, the young constable left. “Thank you for coming in gentlemen,” she said, “hopefully you can help us get to the bottom of what is going on.”

Dave Withers responded. “First of all Chief Superintendent let me apologise for delaying this meeting from this morning. I trust you will appreciate that it was in all of our interests for my clients to be able to provide me with detailed instructions before we met. I have advised my clients to be totally open and forthright about what has happened to them and I think it best if we allow
Mr
Lever to start off.

“Before we do,” said Lloyd, “where is Adrian Lever, I was given to understand that he would also be attending today?”

“I don't know where he is,” I said. “He said he would be here and I am becoming increasingly worried about the fact that he has not turned up.”

“There is probably a perfectly simple explanation,” said Fleet, “so why don't we get on with it.”

“One more thing,” said Withers. “I think it would make for a more frank exchange if this meeting, at least initially, were to be an informal meeting, that is no recording. Do you agree?”

Lloyd looked at Fleet, “I will go along with that for now,” she said.

I then proceeded to tell Fleet the whole story, as I knew it:

The threats to myself and Alec purportedly about floating the company, the two attacks I had experienced and the car crash which ended up with me in hospital, followed by my 'escape' as I feared I was too vulnerable lying there in bed.

The approach by Mendip Finance to acquire the Company and the suspicion that somehow they were involved in some of the violence.

Then the hapless exploits of my brother hacking in to a US government system and unearthing material that would be very embarrassing for certain US officials if published.

The visits of other police, led by Naismith, who we now understood was Special Branch, and their greater interest in Adrian rather than my alleged car theft that they were supposedly investigating, and even the suspicion that they may have had a direct hand in the attacks.

“So as you can see Chief Superintendent, I think it is clear that we have clear reason to be concerned about our safety and that of our families. As we speak it is possible that Adrian is in great danger!”

“ What is this material that your brother hacked in to? Do you h
ave a copy here that we can see,
” said Lloyd.

“We don't have a copy here and I myself have not seen it,” interrupted Withers. “Suffice it to say that it is said to be extremely incriminating evidence of the involvement of a senior US Official in war crimes. I am not sure if at this stage it would serve any purpose for it to be seen by a larger audience than has already seen it.”

“In the circumstances I don't think you can be the judge of that,” said Lloyd in a prickly response.

“I think we can reserve judgement on that for a while,” said Fleet. “What matters now is what is to be done from
here.
Firstly
Mr
Lever, I think I need to make it clear that we have not absolved you of the crime of stealing a vehicle from the hospital. However until there is some greater clarity on the other matters we can suspend that discussion and deal with it later.”

“Secondly, the crime by your brother of hacking in to US government files is much more serious and subject to severe penalties if they should choose to prosecute and try to extradite him to the US for trial. That is a security issue and will involve the appropriate security services in its prosecution. I have already talked briefly to Inspector Naismith, now I have your version of events I will talk to him again and see where he wants to take this. In the meantime
Mr
Withers is very experienced in issues of this nature and can advise you as to how to proceed”

“
Mr
Lever, I think you should be aware that you are possibly exposed to prosecution for conspiracy to help your brother conceal his crime and of evading arrest.”

“I have done no such thing!” I said.  “I really am worried about Adrian’s whereabouts. Much as you might not agree, I am sure he has not avoided this meeting intentionally, something must be wrong. Is there anything you can do to help?”

“We can put an alert out for him, do you have a photograph?” 

“I can send you one from home easily enough.”

“Do you know where he was going when you last spoke to him?” said Lloyd.

“Yes, it was just after eight this morning, I left him at home, and he was due to leave almost immediately, he was planning to go to his girlfriends where he has been staying and pick up some clean clothes, before coming on to meet with us at the office before we were scheduled to come here.”

“Where does she live?”